7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East
Welcome to 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East, a special one-off podcast and church resource brought to you by SAT-7 UK.
If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes we can wonder what the point is in praying for people we’ll never meet, or for global situations that feel too big to solve. When we’re overwhelmed by the challenges facing the Middle East, our prayers can seem small and insignificant.
Yet when we turn to the Bible, we see that God invites us to pray – not just to change the world, but to change our own hearts in the process. That’s why we’ve come up with 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East – a brand-new resource for you and your church, as well as this month’s podcast. We hope these seven Bible-based reasons inspire you to pray more regularly, more urgently, and more deeply for our brothers and sisters around the world.
Use today’s talk in your church or small group
Would your church, prayer meeting or small group enjoy this talk? We have recorded today’s podcast as a video version that can be shown in your own setting, followed by a time of prayer for the Middle East. To access the video and sign up for your church resources, click here.
7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East
Let’s recap the 7 reasons to pray for the Middle East, along with the Bible references used:
- We want to be more like Jesus. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” John 17:20-21
- Our MENA brothers and sisters are asking us to. “But God has put the body together… its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:24-26:
- It gives us a more global perspective. “[Stand] firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-10
- To align our hearts with God’s heart. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
- As a biblical response to our worries. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
- It inspires us to praise God! “Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness.” Psalm 150:2
- God answers our prayers. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Further prayer resources
To keep going in your prayers for the Middle East, visit sat7uk.org/pray where you’ll find links to our latest Prayer Diary, as well as recent episodes of 7 Ways to Pray, our monthly prayer podcast.